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Authors: Sue Stauffacher
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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tugging. He didn’t care much about eating, but he didn’t like grumblies in his tummy, either.
Grandma reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a handful of Nilla wafers. “Dunch,” she said, handing them to Razi, and turning to Zack and Zeke: “You know the rules.”
“Then we’ll take our bikes and meet you!”
Their conversation was interrupted by Mama honking her greetings.
“Well, you’re not going to do anything right now because non-essential personnel must go to the house immediately.”
Chapter 8
The Z-Team were the first ones up the back steps. Razi was
not
essential personnel, but he ran over to the truck anyway. Keisha opened the truck door and started to unbuckle Paulo.
“I would have been back sooner,” Mama said, climbing out of the truck, “but the baby had to travel from one set of arms to the other, all the way to the end of the garden.”
“Did the skunk spray anyone before you got there?” Keisha asked. Paulo was asleep, his little head pillowed by the car seat strap.
“No, but he’s not too happy. A lot of chit-chit-chitting. Why don’t you take these zucchini and pattypan squash into the house while I get him settled? Tell the Z-Team they can watch from the window, but they don’t need to press their noses against my clean glass. I’ll put the skunk’s cage in the pen with the door open. If he comes out, they can see him from the window.”
“But I want to give him a traditional Nigerian greeting and inquire after his family,” Razi said as he disappeared into the bed of the truck. Keisha saw the black fabric of the superhero cape flutter as Razi triedto get a peek. Mama often brought Razi’s cape along and draped it over the crate to give the animals a sense of calm.
“Razi Carter. Get out of there. What are you doing?” Mama scolded.
At the sound of Mama’s stern voice, Paulo started crying. His eyes were still closed. Keisha moved his head to undo the strap. “Did you see the puppy, Mama? Is she going to be okay?” Gently, Keisha eased the baby out of the seat into her arms.
“Not now, Ada. I’ll tell you later. Razi, come out. If you upset him, you’ll get sprayed. Skunks don’t know anything about the way people say hello.”
“No!” Razi said. “Not for you.”
“I said get down here, Razi. Now!”
“I just wanted to ask after his family, like you and Daddy do when you meet a new friend.” Razi looked like he was ready to cry again. It was a tearful day.
“You can,” Mama said. “When he’s had a chance to settle in. Now go up into the kitchen with Zack and Zeke and tell them to be still as statues and wait.”
Razi climbed out of the truck. Keisha knew right away he’d done something he shouldn’t have because he was pinching his lips together. She fit the baby on her hip, held out her hand to Razi and they went inside.
“I found a better way to make friends,” Razi told her,licking his fingers. Keisha thought about asking, but decided maybe she didn’t want to know.
“The skunk has a scratch on his nose,” Razi informed Keisha.
“Was it bleeding?”
“No, it was an old one.” Razi pulled open the back door and stuck his knee in the air. “Like this one. It’s a healed scratchy.”
“You mean a scar,” Keisha corrected. Razi was pointing to a scar he’d earned last summer after jumping from the swing set.
As they came through the door, Grandma lifted her head from the steaming pot of skunk stink remover. Her cheeks were flushed and the hair at her temples was all curly.
“Razi, look in that bag over there and pull out the Talbots sweater I scored from New 2 You. It’s one hundred percent cashmere in my favorite color.”
“Mmmm.” Razi lifted a bright pink sweater out of the bag. “It’s soft.”
Grandma glanced over at Razi, who was rubbing the sweater on his face like a washcloth. “Go on,” she said. “As long as it’s all steamy in here, I might as well wash it and put it on the line.”
Razi put
Grandma reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a handful of Nilla wafers. “Dunch,” she said, handing them to Razi, and turning to Zack and Zeke: “You know the rules.”
“Then we’ll take our bikes and meet you!”
Their conversation was interrupted by Mama honking her greetings.
“Well, you’re not going to do anything right now because non-essential personnel must go to the house immediately.”
Chapter 8
The Z-Team were the first ones up the back steps. Razi was
not
essential personnel, but he ran over to the truck anyway. Keisha opened the truck door and started to unbuckle Paulo.
“I would have been back sooner,” Mama said, climbing out of the truck, “but the baby had to travel from one set of arms to the other, all the way to the end of the garden.”
“Did the skunk spray anyone before you got there?” Keisha asked. Paulo was asleep, his little head pillowed by the car seat strap.
“No, but he’s not too happy. A lot of chit-chit-chitting. Why don’t you take these zucchini and pattypan squash into the house while I get him settled? Tell the Z-Team they can watch from the window, but they don’t need to press their noses against my clean glass. I’ll put the skunk’s cage in the pen with the door open. If he comes out, they can see him from the window.”
“But I want to give him a traditional Nigerian greeting and inquire after his family,” Razi said as he disappeared into the bed of the truck. Keisha saw the black fabric of the superhero cape flutter as Razi triedto get a peek. Mama often brought Razi’s cape along and draped it over the crate to give the animals a sense of calm.
“Razi Carter. Get out of there. What are you doing?” Mama scolded.
At the sound of Mama’s stern voice, Paulo started crying. His eyes were still closed. Keisha moved his head to undo the strap. “Did you see the puppy, Mama? Is she going to be okay?” Gently, Keisha eased the baby out of the seat into her arms.
“Not now, Ada. I’ll tell you later. Razi, come out. If you upset him, you’ll get sprayed. Skunks don’t know anything about the way people say hello.”
“No!” Razi said. “Not for you.”
“I said get down here, Razi. Now!”
“I just wanted to ask after his family, like you and Daddy do when you meet a new friend.” Razi looked like he was ready to cry again. It was a tearful day.
“You can,” Mama said. “When he’s had a chance to settle in. Now go up into the kitchen with Zack and Zeke and tell them to be still as statues and wait.”
Razi climbed out of the truck. Keisha knew right away he’d done something he shouldn’t have because he was pinching his lips together. She fit the baby on her hip, held out her hand to Razi and they went inside.
“I found a better way to make friends,” Razi told her,licking his fingers. Keisha thought about asking, but decided maybe she didn’t want to know.
“The skunk has a scratch on his nose,” Razi informed Keisha.
“Was it bleeding?”
“No, it was an old one.” Razi pulled open the back door and stuck his knee in the air. “Like this one. It’s a healed scratchy.”
“You mean a scar,” Keisha corrected. Razi was pointing to a scar he’d earned last summer after jumping from the swing set.
As they came through the door, Grandma lifted her head from the steaming pot of skunk stink remover. Her cheeks were flushed and the hair at her temples was all curly.
“Razi, look in that bag over there and pull out the Talbots sweater I scored from New 2 You. It’s one hundred percent cashmere in my favorite color.”
“Mmmm.” Razi lifted a bright pink sweater out of the bag. “It’s soft.”
Grandma glanced over at Razi, who was rubbing the sweater on his face like a washcloth. “Go on,” she said. “As long as it’s all steamy in here, I might as well wash it and put it on the line.”
Razi put
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